Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Can something be done about Johor's crime rate?

Ask any Johorean about public safety and you will inevitably get an answer that the level of petty and dangerous crime show no sign of abating in this southern state which is just a bridge away from orderly Singapore.

The STAR paper highlighted today the case of a good samaritan who went to help a family held captive at gunpoint in a robbery attempt in the 4.30am incident in Kg. Melayu Bukit Nyamuk in Kluang, Johor. Sadly, Sodikin Zin aged 71 died from a gunshot wound to his chest while the robbers escaped with his neighbour's valuables.

And also reported in the same paper today, Johor police arrested a group of 4 in a raid in Jalan Pahlawan in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah and recovered 2 guns, 2 home-made pipe bombs, 22 bullets, 5 units of modified fireworks, 4 parang, and key-making and alarm-disabling equipment. How scary is this to those living in the neighbourhood?

Yesterday's news was even more heart-rending. A six-month pregnant woman lost her baby after she was attacked by four robbers in the toilet of a petrol station in Jalan Tebrau here.

Shirley Koh, 35, said the incident occurred at about 8.30pm on Saturday when her family stopped at the petrol station while on their way home from shopping in City Square.

As her husband was filling petrol, she took her four-year-old son to the toilet along with her maid.

“While the three of us were in the toilet, the men, who were in their 20s, attacked me and then fled with my handbag,” she said. Koh has lodged a report at the Majidee police station.

State CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar confirmed the case and said that investigations were under way.

He urged those with information to contact the state police headquarters at 07-2254499.

And last Saturday, a moneychanger and his wife, both in their 50s, fought off armed robbers in their car in Taman Murni, Batu Pahat at 9am in a report highlighted on Monday.

The couple were in their car when they were blocked by another car which had three men in it.

“Two men got down while the driver remained in the car,” said the moneychanger. He said the men smashed the windows on his car. One of the men, armed with a gun, tried to grab his wife's handbag but she held it tightly, he said.

“My wife held on to the bag despite the man firing a warning shot. He even punched my wife when she refused to let go,” he said, adding that they both suffered cuts due to the shattered window glass.

He said that throughout the incident, he repeatedly pressed his car horn but no one came to their aid. The robbers abandoned their car some 2km away.

So, in the context of the above reports, I find it somewhat amusing when I read about Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk N. Parameswaran's letter to Singapore Press Holdings editor-in-chief telling them to "stop Johor-bashing" here:-

“Any continued insulting reference to Johor Baru as a cowboy town, as mentioned in a letter in Forum (The Straits Times, April 4) only reflects ignorance of the situation in Johor Baru today and the direction in which the state is headed,” said Parameswaran, who also requested that his letter be published in the newspapers under Singapore Press Holdings. “Johor bashing should stop, the sooner, the better."

Perhaps, instead of telling others to stop ridiculing Johor Bahru like calling it a "cowboy town", maybe it is better to just concentrate on cleaning up Johor's image, one suggested way is by rooting out the criminals aggressively, and well, as they say, the rest will take care of itself.

Incidentally, a lot of Johoreans will probably agree with the suggestion that JB is indeed a "cowboy town" of the worst kind.

Seriously, shouldn't the Johor mentri besar and the Johor state police chief be ashamed of their failure to address this embarrassing and dangerous situation to public safety, especially in the capital city of Johor Bahru where even locals are getting jittery over rampant incidences of petty crimes like snatch-thefts and house break-ins and more serious ones like abduction of schoolgirls, rape and armed robbery?

Forget about lofty targets like developed state status.

Just concentrate on weeding out such undesirable occurences and restore peace of mind to the local folks and tourists alike.

Nobody likes to live in a constant state of heightened awareness and jittery caution the moment they step out of their front gate to go about their daily routine and business.

Our government should make it their priority to find a solution to this menacing problem, not just in Johor but all over Malaysia.

And surely our police can come up with a better solution than what we are getting now?

The way I see it, we hardly come across our friendly mata-mata patrolling our neighbourhood or our streets anymore. Are they too busy dishing out traffic summonses or other more "productive" work?

Come on, ... please give us back our sense of security and a real feeling of living in a safe city.

This will mean more to me as a citizen of Malaysia rather than any lofty claims of living in a developed, but ultimately unsafe, state.

Yeah, who cares if I do live in a developed state if I cannot feel safe inside or out of my home, if I had to hang on tight to my handbag everytime I walk out of the bank and I dare not wait alone at a deserted bus-stop or walk the short distance from the bus-stop to my home at night?

11 Comments:

Johor crime rate is one of the highest in Malaysia. It's natural with the number and amount of entertainment activities; it's a sin city. It's a place where there is money to be made, legally or illegally.

I'm a student from johor Bahru who has been living in the United States for the last 4 years.

Last weekend, my dad was tied uup and beaten while my house was ransacked. Why beat up my father, an old man with frail health, who put up no resistance?

What are the police doing about this??

Just last month a friend and neighbour's house was robbed. If that wasn't bad enough, the thugs returned for a second helping??

People say that the United States is a dangerous place because people here own guns. The truth is, it is actually safer here in the United States as thungs think twice about attacking citizens who might be armed.

Pass all the laws you want, the crooks will still get their hands on guns.

But for god sake at least let the citizens arm themselves for protection because the police sure aren't protecting us.

My brother got robbed last week in JB too, and thus, I'm checking on what can be done.

I'm also in the US, and I agree with gun ownership.

Also, any time and every time I call the police, they arrive in about 5 minutes. They can track down the phone location without even telling them where I'm. JB has much to learn from Singapore and the US.

Living in JB is sick. Everyday we are keep telling by the media that JB is a City of Crime. For that JB citizen is living in fear and sick of that.

Actually i am not a native JB citizen. I move to JB from KL-Puchong 2 years ago, for study. Now i nearly get my diploma. I wonder, should i find a job at JB or just go back to KL?

My advise for all JB citizen is, be brave! fear not on Crime, and log your report to police, becouse i found people here is likely to avoid themself to police station if crime occur on them. The reason is "no use one, police can`t help!" But just think, are there anybeter if you don log your report?

Johor is real sick place to live, I was born in Johor and left Johor to another town more than 20 yrs. Last week I went back to Johor, my sister needs some money to pay the debts, her friend borrowed her RM 10K, and she went to bank and cash out the money, she went to market for shopping and then go home, by the time she reached home, 3 malay guys waited outside her gate, forced her to get out from her car, ask her to take out the money that she cash out from bank. My sister so afraid and told them she has no money, one of the guy pointed the knife on her neck and said she just cash out RM $10, my sister has no choice just gave them the money without hurting her. I wonder how come they knew my sister got that money, and how they know her house so well? Can it be someone working in the bank also one of the robbery gang?

The next day, she lost her car that she parked at the gate without notice. She is totally depressed and hard to live in this city of crime. The police can't help to do anything to her. Everyone is living in fear...I hardly walk on the road when I went back to Johor. I felt sorry to say something bad about my own hometown.

I am not cultured the Johor style though I am a Johorian, currently in Melbourne Australia.. Look, I am all fired up in me, seriously what the f**k is the Malaysian law, hell, every single policy can be purchase in that uncivilized country, I just don't get it, perhaps, the government is too stupid and to think again, they are being bias, I am not gonna blame my hometown on this, f**k the government and the state law, in Melbourne every single crime or more lowly, inappropriate actions, is being taken action regardless. There was a recent shooting here and the criminal was apprehended within three days. And the people here are just no way alike to one who is cultured the Malaysian way, every accidental knock will always be reply with a sorry, every appreciation will always be reply with a thank you and every inconvenience caused will be reply with a complementary. In Malaysia, it's f**k if I care. I don't know why am I all fired up, maybe because the blood runs in me. You know what, instead of signing for a petition to stop all those crimes which I doubt the Malaysian government is going to give a f**k about, I rather see a revolution and maybe I rather see the world government colonise it. I am just saying for the best because I care for my people.

Hello Everybody,My name is Mrs Sharon Sim. I live in Singapore and i am a happy woman today? and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will refer any person that is looking for loan to him, he gave me happiness to me and my family, i was in need of a loan of S$250,000.00 to start my life all over as i am a single mother with 3 kids I met this honest and GOD fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of S$250,000.00 SG. Dollar, he is a GOD fearing man, if you are in need of loan and you will pay back the loan please contact him tell him that is Mrs Sharon, that refer you to him. contact Dr Purva Pius,via email:(urgentloan22@gmail.com) Thank you.

About Me

WELCOME to my blog. I hope you will drop me a comment if you like what you read here or wish to agree/disagree with my opinion. There is always room for exchange of differing viewpoints. This blog is very much a space for me to make friends with fellow bloggers and at the same time, airing my 2-cents on issues which interests me. Hope you enjoy it and have a nice day when you leave.